When he visited Yahoo TV, we asked him to share the backstories of nine of our favorite behind-the-scenes pics.

In Part 1 of the Downton photo diary above, the Irish actor explains why he and Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham) posed with a crew member hiding under a table; why he himself had to “have a lie down” on the ground (the same reason Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith, sat on him); how the dog who portrayed Isis came to be wearing a top hat; what he did to earn the nickname “Magic Man” from the show’s child actors; and what moved him to dance with Elizabeth McGovern (Lady Grantham) between takes.

In Part 2 below, he talks about “The Notorious M.A.G.” (Maggie Smith, who plays the Dowager Countess) and her domination of the cast’s Wink Murder game; the danger of getting Rob James-Collier (Thomas Barrow) talking about basketball; what he looked like wearing the wig Michelle Dockery donned as Lady Mary; and how he felt shooting his final scene.

In case you missed it, here’s another look at Leech playing our trivia game “Branson or B.S.”